Method and apparatus for napping knitted fabrics



Mar. 13, 1923. 1 ,448,485 M. FRIEDMAN I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAPPING KNITTED FABRICS Filed June 50, l922 huemtoz Wax fiz'edmn 351;; His awe ma a g mz M Patented Mar. 13, E923.

Uhilifllifi MAX FRIEDIVIAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW] YORK.

Application filed June 36, 1822. Serial No. 572,007.

To oZZ whom it may concerns Be it known that 1, MAX FRIEDMAN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Napping Knitted Fabrics of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for napping knitted fabrics, and the object of the invention is to provide a machine or apparatus of the class specified with means for napping predetermined portions or sections of a fabric passed. through the machine; a further object being to provide means for controlling that portion of the fabric to be napped; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus of the class and for the purpose speci fied which is simple in construction and operation and efficient in use and also in the method of napping fabrics of the class under consideration, as hereinafter described. and claimed.

The'invention is fully disclosed iuth'e following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic side and. sectional view of an apparatus showing my improvement mounted in connection therewith;

Fig. 2 a detail view of a part of the construction shown in Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing only a part of the construction on an enlarged scale and,

Fig. 1 a perspective detail view of one of a number of napping attachments which I ein-- ploy.

' For the purpose of illustrating one use of my invention, 1 have diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing a napping machine 10 comprising a suitable frame 11 provided at the top thereof with a workpiece supporting table 12 at the inner end of which are two feed rollers 13 and 14, and rearwardly of which is a brush or napping roller 15 mounted on a drive shaft 16 which may be driven by an electric motor or in any other desired manner through a belt 17. The wheel 15 is provided in its periphery with a multiplicity of fine and comparatively long projecting strands of wire or similar stiff material 18, and this wheel is movable or adjustable toward and from the feed rollers 13 and 14 by a feed screw 19 operated by gears 20, and a suitable crank wheel 21. A supplemental drive shaft 22 is mounted in the lower portion of the frame 11 and geared to the shaft 16 through a belt 23 and two conveyor shafts 24 are also mounted in the frame and over which a conveyer 25 is passed, and this conveyer is geared to the shaft 22 through a drive belt 26 which also passes over and operates .a suitable fanor blower 27 mounted on a shaft 28, and the feed rollers 13 and 1 are geared in connection with the shaft 22 through belts 29 and 30 which pass around pulleys on a shaft 81. I

The above construct'ion is all diagram matic and is merely shown and described to clearly illustrate my invention and improved. method of napping fabrics oft-he class under consideration. Rearwardly of the feed roller 14, or between said feed roller and the napping wheel 15 is an arc-shaped or semi-circular backing plate 32 and, in practice, I employ a number of arc-shaped napping attachments 33, one of which is shown in perspective detail in A; of the drawing, which are adapted to be mounted on the plate 32 and adjustable thereon and held indifferent positions ofadjustment by set screws 34 on. the attachments 33, said set screws passing through flanges 35 at one end of the attachments and the other ends of said attachments being hook-shaped in form as shown at 36 to engage one edge, preferably the upper edge, of the plate 32.

It will be understood that any number of the attachments 33 may be employed onthe plate 32, and said attachments may be used separately, or may be placed in juxtaposi tion to' produce on a workpiece 37, orone face thereof, comparatively narrow napped strips 38, or wider napped strips 39 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the last named napped strip or section being formed by the useof two of the attachments 33 mounted in juxtaposition.

In the manufacture of various kinds and classes of knitted garments, it has been the custom to provide predetermined portions of the garment with napped goods, such for example as collars, cuffs, trimmings and the like, and the present custom has been to make the napped portions of the. garment independent of the remainder of the garment and secure the same thereto in theusual or any desired manner, while with my invention the goods from which the garment is made, or predetermined portions or sections thereof, may be napped to produce the same effect as in the present method of pro- 'cedure and to accomplish this result in the most efficient and economical manner as well as producing a more thoroughly and completely finished garment. In other words, my improved method consists in the treatment of predetermined portions or sections of a workpiece or fabric to form a fuzzy nap-like surface thereof, and it will be understood that I am not necessarily limited to any specific arrangement of the napping on the workpiece as this may be done in many ways, and, as a matter of fact, a garment or the material from which a garment is made may be ornamented or designed in numerous ways by the arrangement of the napped portions or sections on said garment or the materlal thereof. The operation of napping a suitable knltted fabric will be understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement. It will be understood that the workpiece or fabric 37 is placed upon the table 12 and fed through the feed rollers 13 and 14: over and downwardly aroundthe plate 32'and the attachments 33 mounted thereon and thus onto the conveyer 25. It will be understood that the attachonto the conveyer a suitable blowerv or fan 27 is employed for raising the napped sur faceof the workpiece to producev a fuzzy or fluffy appearance.

' It w'll also be apparent that I am not necessarily limited to the specific apparatus herein shown and described for carrying my invention into effect nor am I limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, and various'changes therein and modifications thereof may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully descrlbed'my invention, what eas es I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, a pressure bar between said feeding means and brush element, said pressure bar being provided with independ ent and spacedraised surfaces whereby the nap of predetermined portions of a workpiece passed between said bar and brush element will be raised.

2. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element, and means for feeding a; suitable workpiece to said brush element, a pressure bar positioned between said feeding means and brush element, and members adjustably mounted on said pressure bar and extending over the surface thereof whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece passed between said brush element and the members on said pressure bar will be raised.

3. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, a pressure bar. positioned between said feeding means and brush ele-. ment, and members adjustably mounted on said pressure bar and extending over the surface thereof whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece passed between said brush element andthe members on said pressure bar will be raised, said members being adjustable longitudinally of said pressure bar.

4. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means fOr feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, pressure bar positioned between said feeding means and brush element, and members adjustably mounted on I said pressure bar and extending over the surface thereof whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece passed between said brush element and the members on said'pressure bar will be raised, said members being adjustable longitudinally of said pressure bar and being detachable therefrom.

5. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, anelement mounted in juxtaposition to and extending longitudinally of said brush element, a plurality of members adjustably mounted on said element and cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby predetermined portions of thenap of a workpiece fed between said brush element and said members maybe raised. w

6. In an apparatus of the'class described comprising rotatable brush element and means for feeding asuitable workpiece to said brush element, an element mounted in juxtaposition to and extending longitudinally of said brush element, a plurality of members adjustably mounted on said element and cooperating wit-h the periphery of said brush element whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece fed between said brush element and said members may be raised, said inembersbeing adjustable longitudinally of said. element.

7. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, an element mounted in juxtaposition to and extending longitudinally of said brush element, a plurality of members adjustably mounted on said element and cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece fed between said brush element and said members may be raised said members being adjustable longitudinally of said element and being detachable therefrom.

8. In an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element and means for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, an element mounted in juxtaposition to and extending longitudinally of said brush element, a plurality of members adjustably mounted on said element and cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby predetermined portions of the nap of a workpiece fed between said brush element and said members may be raised, said members being adjustable longitudinally of said element and being detachable therefrom, and said members being substantially arc-shaped in form in cross section.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising a brush element. feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, means extending longitudinally of said brush element for supporting one or more backing members, said backing members cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby the nap of that portion of a workpiece passed over said member or members will be raised by said brush element. a

10. An apparatus of the class described comprising a brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, means extending longitudinally of said brush element for supporting one or more hacking members, said backing mem bers cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby the nap of that portion of a workpiece passed over said member or members will be raised by said brush element, said backing members being adjustably mounted on said supporting means.

11. An apparatus of the class described comprising a brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element means extending longitudinally of said brush element for supporting one or more backing members, said backing members cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby the nap of that portion of a workpiece passed over said member or members will be raised by said brush element, said backing members being adjustably mounted on said supporting means,

' and detachable therefrom. 12. An apparatus of the class described comprising a brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element means extending longitudinally of said brush element for supporting one or more backing members, said backing mem bers cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby the nap of that portion of a workpiece passed over said member .or members will be raised by said brush element, and means for regulating the raising of the nap of the workpiece.

13. An apparatus of the class described comprising a brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element, means extending longitudinally of said brush element for supporting one or more backing members, said backing members cooperating with the periphery of said brush element whereby the nap of that portion of a workpiece passed over said member or members will be raised by said brush element, means for regulating the raising of the nap of the workpiece and a fan cooperating with the workpiece after the nap has.

been raised thereon.

14. The combination with an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element and a bar positioned between one of said feed rollers and said brush element, said bar being substantially arc-shaped in form in cross section, of abacking member adapted to be adjustably mounted on said bar.

15. The combination with an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element and a bar positioned between one of said feed rollers and said brush element, said bar being substantially arc-shaped in form in cross section, of a backing member adapted to be adjustably mounted on said bar, said backing member being provided with means for retaining the same in different positions of adjustment.

16. The combination with an apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece to said brush element and a bar positioned between one of said feed rollers an d said brush element, said bar being substantially arc-shaped in form in cross sec- 'tion, of a'baeking member adapted to be adjustably mountedon said bar, said backing member being providedwith means for retaining the same in different positions of adjustment, said member being substantially the class described comprising a rotatable brush element, feed rollers for feeding a suitable workpiece tosaidbrushelement and a bar positioned between oneof said feed rollers and said brush element, said bar berelease ing substantially arc-shaped in form in cross section, of a backing member adapted to be adjustably mounted on said barysaidf backing member being provided with means for'retaining the same indifierent positions of adjustment, said member being substantially of thesame form as said bar in cross section, meansv for holding said member in engagement With said bar in different positions of adjustment, and said member being detachably mounted on said bar.

, Intestimony that I claim the foregoingas my'invention I have signed my name this" 29th day of June 1922.

MAX-FRIEDMAN. 

